This is a breathtaking, awe inspiring place. A towering snow-capped mountain surrounded by wondrous forest, river and fields. This is just one of hundreds of places that make this nation what it is. Paris Mountain in South Carolina, Chimney Rock in North Carolina, The Blue Ridge Mountains through out the East Coast (autumn in the Blue Ridge is proof of divine artistry). Our country has so many glorious places. The cities are (mostly) great but they change constantly and we will not ever have the grand centuries upon centuries old architecture of Europe and Asia and the Middle East. Our people are fascinating but our nation is (no matter what anyone says) a blend of people from all over the world so we aren’t (technically) unique, just seasoned differently. What makes our nation is our natural beauty. We have two oceans, thousands of lakes hundreds of rivers, forests, plains, deserts, RAIN forests, islands, volcanoes, wetlands, hills, valleys… EVERY kind of land and water feature in creation is somewhere in our nation. The natural glory of our nation is … indescribable. You must go see it. And national and state parks are the only way we can ALL experience that which makes us the luckiest folks to walk this planet.
Sincerely,
Mount Rainier National Park
Majestic Mount Rainier is the highest peak in the Cascade Range and an active volcano with more glaciers than any other mountain in the United States. Just an hour's drive from Seattle, the park's wild landscape feels much further from civilization. The forests, parkland, wetlands, lakes and rivers offer 260 miles of trails and varied habitat to dozens of plant and animal species.
State(s): Washington
Established: 1899
“Because they are the only way to make sure the natural beauty of our nation is available to the entire nation”
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Greetings from Mount Rainier National Park
This summer, I visited Sunrise to see the sunrise with my family. We crawled out of bed at 2 AM and prepared for the long drive ahead of us. At 5 AM, we finally arrived. The sun wasn’t up yet, and none of us were fully awake, but despite how…
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Greetings from Mount Rainier National Park
On our first date, we connected over our tales of the outdoors - the mountains we’d climbed, the backpacking trips we’d accomplished, the feeling of peace in laying in silence under the stars. Since getting married, we’ve taken up travel full-time, gravitating to places where park lands are aplenty and…
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